The Los Angeles Rams looked ready to deliver a second straight primetime beatdown in 2026. This time jumping to a 16-0 lead over the Denver Broncos at Empower Field. Even Matthew Stafford hit NFL history without Puka Nacua and matching a previous Detroit Lions feat.
But the Rams fell into stunning NFL history after the game.
Los Angeles botched the 16-point lead, ultimately falling 30-26 on Sunday Night Football. Stafford took two late interceptions from Talanoa Hufanga to help seal the Rams loss. Including on the final play with the 2025 Most Valuable Player needing one last throw in the end zone to cap a Rams road win.
But Stafford’s miscues in the fourth isn’t the history-matching moment here. Even on a night he became the first NFL quarterback to throw past 20,000 career yards for two different teams. Instead, Los Angeles hit unsettling territory here.
History the Rams Hit
Per Rams reporter for USA Today Cameron DaSilva, LA is now the latest team to reach this unfortunate mark.
“Rams are only the 11th team in NFL history to lose a game where they had at least 480 yards on offense and allowed 260 or fewer yards on defense,” DaSilva posted on the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter.
Los Angeles once again looked efficient and explosive on offense, despite missing Nacua with a hip injury. The Rams racked up 482 total yards including 366 from Stafford’s arm.
Stafford got the scoring going early, hitting tight end Tyler Higbee for a short five-yard touchdown throw for the game’s first touchdown. Kicker Harrison Mevis then emerged as the top scorer for the Rams the rest of the first half: Booting three field goals to lift the lead at 16-0.
How it All Unraveled for the Rams
Denver entered its own locker room carrying 67 yards of total offense. Even the SNF broadcast crew of Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth questioned whether offensive coordinator Davis Webb would lose his play-calling duties from Sean Payton. Webb even forced the Broncos to run plays out of the shotgun during third-and-short scenarios.
The head coach, however, stuck with Webb. And the OC unleashed a sudden fury in testing the Rams cornerbacks.
Quarterback Bo Nix started to attack the perimeter with no hesitation and developed a far different rhythm compared to the first half. Plus Webb got creative with the run game, including trusting Nix’s feet to keep drives alive. Denver outscored the Rams 30-10 the rest of the evening in hitting a more revised, but aggressive plan.
Los Angeles grabbed onto Bronco receivers and drew out yellow markers. LA became penalized for two contact-like calls including pass interference during Denver’s final drive inside the red zone.
The Rams once again succumb to history no team wants to be a part of. So now LA faces new questions amid a slow 1-2 start.
Rams Fall in Stunning NFL History After Meltdown vs. Broncos